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ADC 189 

Attachment 

ATTACHMENT TO ADC 189 

Revise DLMS Supplement (DS) 650C, Component Packing Confirmation, to Allow 

for Functionality of Decimal Capability in Quantity Packed (Supply) 

1. ORIGINATOR: 

a. Service/Agency: Defense Logistics Management Standards Office (DLMSO) in Support of 

the Defense Logistics Agency's (DLA) Distribution Standard System (DSS) and Business System 

Modernization (BSM)

b. Points of Contact: DLMSO, Ms. Mary Jane Johnson, DOD MILSTRAP Administrator, 

e-mail: Mary.Jane.Johnson@dla.mil 

c. Functional Area: Supply.

2. REQUESTED CHANGE: 

a. Title: Revise DLMS Supplement (DS) 650C, Component Packing Confirmation, to Allow for 

Functionality of Decimal Capability in Quantity Packed (Supply). 

b. Description of Change: This change incorporates in DS 650C, functionality which exists in 

the 80-record position Document Identifier (DI) Code C2F, Component Packing Confirmation 

transaction. The DLA-unique DI Code C2F provides for up to two decimal positions for quantity 

packed. 

c. Alternative: This alternative was not selected but is included here for historical purposes. As 

part of PDC 192 staffing, DLMSO requested that DSS and BSM personnel familiar with the 

Component Packing Confirmation function consider an alternative approach and evaluate whether use 

of the QTY segment, QTY03 C001 Composite Unit of Measure, data element 649-Multiplier, may be 

a preferred method over that identified in paragraph 2.d. below, to provide the functionality conveyed 

by use of a decimal point in the constraints of the 80-record position C2F transaction. The alternative 

suggested that rather than perpetuate the decimal point as used in the 80-record position transaction, 

Data Element 649 could be opened for use under QTY03 C001 as follows: 

“649 Multiplier 

Description: Value to be used as a multiplier to obtain a new value 

DLMS Note: 1. Use in conjunction with QTY01 Code UA, when the quantity in QTY02 

represents a portion of a complete unit. For example, if an X-Ray apparatus has four pieces that 

make up one X-Ray unit, a quantity packed of 1 in QTY02, and a multiplier of .25 in the QTY03, 

indicates that the QTY02 quantity of one item, represents .25 (or one-quarter) of the complete 

X-ray unit. 

2. A multiplier may not be received or understood by the recipient's automated processing 

system. See introductory DLMS note 3c.”
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ADC 189 

Att 

d. Procedures: The following approach was approved based on the DLA response to PDC 192. 

Revise DS 650C, Component Packing Confirmation, to mirror the DI Code C2F capability as follows: 

Item 

# 

Location DS 650C Revision 

(Component Packing Confirmation)

Reason

Federal 

IC 

Impact

1. DLMS

Introductory 

Notes

Add ADC 189 to DLMS introductory note 6: 

-ADC 189, Revise DLMS Supplement 650C, 

Component Packing Confirmation, to Allow for 

Functionality of Decimal Capability in Quantity 

Packed. 

To identify DLMS 

changes included in 

the DS. 

No impact 

2. 2/QTY02/0600 Delete Federal note: 

Express as whole number with no decimals. 

The Federal note, 

which was originally 

created by DLMSO, 

conflicts with the 

“quantity packed” 

requirement to 

provide the 

capability to use up 

to two decimal 

positions in support 

of an existing 

requirement. NonDLSS, DI Code 

C2F, record 

positions 25-31, 

carries 2 decimal 

positions in the 

format. 

Revision 

required 

3. 2/QTY02/0600 Revise DLMS notes to read:

DLMS Note 1: For QTY01 Code 63, express as 

whole number with no decimals. A field size 

exceeding 5 positions may not be received or 

understood by the recipient's automated 

processing system. See introductory DLMS note 

3c. 

2: For QTY01 Code UA, express number with 

up to two decimal positions. A field size 

exceeding 8 positions (three of which are the 

decimal point and two decimal positions), may 

not be received or understood by the recipient's 

automated processing system. The non-DLSS 

DI Code C2F carried 2 decimal places in the 

quantity packed field (rp 25-31). See 

introductory DLMS note 3c. 

Allows the 650C 

DLMS Supplement 

to carry up to two 

decimal positions for 

the Quantity Packed 

in support of an 

existing capability in 

DI Code C2F. 

No impact 
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ADC 189 

Att 

 e. PDC 192 Response: 

 (1) DLA concurred with the change and cited a clear preference for allowing the 

decimal in QTY02. Several explanatory comments for the use of this functionality were received from 

the DLA Medical kitting community and are included at the enclosure for information. Based on the 

explanations in the enclosure, particularly that at comment # 2, it appears that the DLA Medical kitting 

community may want to consider ADC 189 as an interim, near-term solution. For a longer term 

solution, DLA may want to pursue a data management solution requiring the creation of a new data 

elements to more fully address the business functional requirement. 

 (2) Mr. Ron Shoemaker, United States Army Medical Materiel Agency (USAMMA) 

noted that USAMMA does not use the C2F transactions as part of their Medical Assembly Process 

under SAP applications. USAMMA uses the ‘Packed Data File Transfer’ to capture what 

items/quantity was packed according to Build Directive Number (BDN)/Assembly Control Number 

(ACN). USAMMA had no objections with the proposed changes identified to C2F transaction. 

Per Mr. Shoemaker, the Packed Data File Transfer is an electronic packing list from Assembly site 

identifies by NSN/quantity of what items were packed into an Assembly package by BDN and ACN. 

It also identifies quality control data such: Expiration Date of Materiel Packed, Lot Numbers, 

Manufacturer, Serial Numbers on equipment items. 

3. REASON FOR CHANGE: 

 

 This change is necessary to support an existing requirement. DS 650C, Component Packing 

Confirmation, was developed to incorporate the requirements of the 80-record position non-MILS, 

DLA-unique, Document Identifier (DI) Code C2F transaction in DLMS. The assembly activity uses 

DS 650C to notify the assembly manager that packing has been completed at the assembly activity. DI 

code C2F record positions 25-31 provides for a quantity packed which includes 2 decimal positions. 

During implementation testing between DLA’s Business System Modernization (BSM) and 

Distribution Standard System (DSS), it was revealed that DS 650C does not currently accommodate 

the requirement for decimal positions for Quantity Packed. This change rectifies the disparity between 

the DI Code C2F requirement and the DS 650C capability. The DOD MILSTRAP Administrator 

notes that there was an indication that the decimal point capability had originally been left out of 

DLMS by intent. A note in the backup files indicated that Quantity Packed “carries 2 decimals in 

C2F format, none for EDI transmission.” Accordingly, DLMSO requested that DLA BSM, DSS, and 

others familiar with ANSI and the Medical component packing function, closely evaluate/consider the 

alternative identified in paragraph 2.c. above. The DLA BSM and DSS preference was to use the 

revision identified in paragraph 2.d., to allow the decimal entry in QTY02, rather than use the QTY03 

multiplier. 

 Initial rationale DLMSO received for allowing the decimal point capability included that 

quantity packed may reflect less than a whole number because field units may have a requirement to 

split items into separate containers, or reflect items on the Packing Lists with their respective 

Manufacture Serial, Lot or Contract numbers. A component may have a required quantity that is 

packed in multiple containers that splits the quantity in less than whole numbers. An example is an 

X-Ray apparatus that has multiple pieces that make up the 1 (quantity of 1) X-Ray. Each separate 

piece has a different Serial Number, a different Manufacture Lot Number or a different Contract 

Number. If there are 4 pieces that make up that X-Ray with each having a different Serial Number, 
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ADC 189 

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there would be four DI Code C2F transactions with quantities of .25 for each. In this example, the DS 

650C transaction would have .25 in QTY02-Quantity. [See the enclosure for additional examples 

and explanation of this requirement.] 

 

4. ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:

a. Advantages: Revises DLMS 650C to support an existing requirement.

b. Disadvantages: None.

5. IMPACT: 

 a. Publication(s): 650C DLMS Supplement and Federal IC; DAASC mapping. 

 b. Systems: Impacts systems implementing DS 650C to provide for decimal functionality for 

quantity packed. 

Enclosure
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ADC 189 

Enclosure 

ENCLOSURE TO ADC 189 

Revise DS 650C, Component Packing Confirmation, to Allow for Functionality of Decimal 

Capability in Quantity Packed 

Additional DLA clarification of Medical requirement for decimal capability in Component Packing Confirmation 

Comment # 

Activity/Name

Comment 

1

DLA J6N 

Defense 

Distribution 

Center (DDC) 

John Barron 

I would like to state DDC’s take on this issue and hope it can be put to rest. To put it simply, 

the C2F requires the capability to employ a decimal quantity in order to report to the build 

manager how much of a component is packed in the kit when the component NSN has a Unit 

Measure Quantity greater than one , and the build order calls for less than a standard Unit of 

Issue be packed. 

Industrial kitting may likely never send a C2F with other than whole numbers, but given the 

nature of the items in medical kitting and how the components are ordered versus how they’re 

packaged, Depmeds will utilize decimal placing in almost every build order to some extent. 

The DSS assembly programs are designed to create and send the transaction to meet the 

BSM interface requirement of inventory and financial accountability. If USAMMA develops a 

need for it, it’s there for them too. 

2

DLA DSCP 

Defense 

Supply 

CenterPhiladelphia

(DSCP)

Ron Miller 

DSCP Medical 

Support 

Contractor 

Principal 

Logistics 

Specialist

I hope I can further clarify and support the requirement for the perpetuation of decimal 

quantities based on an actual example from our Medical assembly perspective. 

The requirement for decimal quantities in packing transactions relates to the Unit of Issue(UI) 

and Lowest Unit of Measure (LUM). The unit of issue is the level at which items are normally 

stored and issued from the depot. This is also normally the lowest level for which an NSN is 

established. One of the services we provide our assembly customers is to break the UI 

quantity and pack at the LUM level. For example, one of our items, a First Aid Kit, Individual, 

has a requirement for 18 Bandages. However this item is procured and stored in the Depot as 

NSN 6510009137909, which has a UI of BX and contains 300 EA bandages at the LUM level, 

for which there is no NSN. 

 

We have always handled this in terms of requirements and packing data throughout our system 

and to communicate to the customers by reflecting decimal quantities of the UI NSN, i.e. .06 of 

NSN 6510009137909 X 300 = 18 ea Bandages (LUM). We pack based on the decimal 

quantity and price and bill our end item kits accordingly as well. The DLIS assigned UI is an 

integral part of the definition of an NSN throughout the DoD so we cannot use the quantity "1" 

for that NSN on the packing list because the customer would then expect to receive a Box of 

300. . NSN 6510009137909 is a Box of 300 bandages, not 1 bandage or 18 bandages. We 

cannot communicate at the LUM level because there is no NSN at that level. It is a data 

integrity issue 

 

It is my understanding that USAMMA has solved this problem by establishing NSNs at the LUM 

level. They then can reflect the LUM NSN in the appropriate whole number quantity (which 

would be 18 in the above example) on the packing last without confusing the customer. I 

personally believe that that is the best solution and have proposed the same to our SAP 

developers. However, that solution would require not only an effort to establish the LUM NSNs, 

but also require changes to SAP to manage the numeric relationship between the UI and LUM 

NSNs. That capability does not currently exist. In that R2.2 of BSM is scheduled for 

implementation in Jan 2006, I do not envision the required changes will occur in the near term. 

This issue affects approximately 1500 lines in our Unit Assembly Master File today. In the 

absence of NSNs at the LUM, we have no other means to communicate items at the LUM 

without the use of the decimal quantities. Consequently, I believe it is a valid requirement 

lacking any other implementable near-term solutions. 
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ADC 189 

Encl 

3

DLA J6U 

Distribution 

Standard 

System (DSS) 

Reid Canning

...from a DSS CDA perspective I will attempt to further explain our situation and why we 

prefer the option we have requested. 

...As it may be easier for us all to visualize and communicate I will use a bull dozer as an 

example vice an X-Ray machine. As a Class 7 Major End Item the bull dozer has an NSN, 

however due to the width of the blade and the height of the roll cage it cannot always ship 

in one piece. So, the blade is removed and packaged separately, the roll cage is removed 

and packaged separately, and the dozer itself is packaged. The blade and cage have 

NSNs of their own that a soldier could order and replace separately if damaged, but they 

lost their identity when they were mounted on the dozer and became the end item NSN. 

I’m sure everyone already knew that, point is, when DEPMED is packaging the X-Ray 

machine it was identified and issued to them as the X-Ray end item NSN and the individual 

components in the four boxes have lost their identity. No person or system wants to know 

those NSNs, only to report the respective packages for which that end item was 

collectively put into. Also, it is not a simple matter of four separate NSNs but rather lots of 

NSNs, if we were to drill down to the subcomponent or unit items there could be 

thousands. For example the bull dozer again, the blade package is not just merely the 

blade NSN but rather the brackets, bolts, pins, and etc, all of which have their own NSNs 

too. We are not conscious of, or in the business of determining component level NSNs of 

end items to enable communicating packaging information. 

As the requirement to us is to report the end item NSN at the subsequent individual 

packaging level, our preference still remains to use the literal decimal in the QTY02 

segment for these 650C (C2F) transactions.